Sarah Means Princess
by Morgana Shea
Summary: Legolas, an elf who beautiful beyond measure of men, meets a young dock hand named Sarah. Though she is not the most beautiful of girls... still, there is something so alluring about her...
1. The Wind From the West

1Chapter One: The Wind From the West

Disclaimer: I do not own any character from LOTR, nor do I own my friend. Some of the characters (actual people) might be displayed in a different way than they actually exist, but that's what this web-site is for.

The cool wind blew in from the sea, tossing the golden hair of a young dock hand back over a slender shoulder. She turned and gazed out at the sea, watching the waves swell and crash against the creaking timbers.

"Sarah! I ship coming in. Help me to haul this line!"

She turned and sprinted to where the noise had come from, grabbing onto a thick, wet rope and lashing it about a protruding stake. "I've got it! Can you see the name of the ship?"

"There is no name. I haven't seen a ship like it before. It's magnificent!"

The speaker came alongside her to help lash the ship in place, hauling it into a safe position. He grinned at her, stretching his back leisurely as the vessel slid into position. His black hair fell into his eyes and blew across his swarthy face. "There we are. Good job, little princess."

She smiled at him. "You too, Erik. Here, they're sending down a boarding ramp. Help me hold it steady."

"Ahoy there!"

She looked up, tired and grungy, to see a strange man standing at the rail of the ship. His chin barely cleared it, peeking down at her with the face, and beard, of an older man. "Aye, sir?"

"Is there a nurse nearby? We have a few up here that are sick."

Erik slung his arm around Sarah's shoulder, waving at the strange little man. "She's had a hand in medical practice, better than most of us. Bring them to her, we'll keep her waiting in the infirmary shack."

Sarah tried to protest, but was quickly pulled away toward the tiny, sterilized shack. "But--" she protested, "I'd rather be on the docks bringing in the ships and sending out dinghies! I don't want to deal with the puking seasick whelps aboard that ship! Don't make me, Erik, please!"

He shrugged. "Well, I'll deal with all of the men and you deal with the children and women. If you need help of vice-versa, I'll be there."

She sighed and sat down unhappily on a bench, picking at her nurse apron. "Alright. Send in the first of the yellow-toothed, flea-ridden pansies."

Children. That's what Erik called them. But they spoke like men. Children? Sure, they were very short, but the experience they carried in their eyes was that of old men. Children! Ha! Sarah thought it was laughable. But, they were sick. She was supposed to help them.

The first one looked at her with the biggest blue eyes she had ever seen, his face white and smooth. She knelt before him, noticing the way he avoided her gaze and how his eyes were glazed over with thought. She smiled. "Hello there, I'm Sarah Johnson. What's your name and how can I help you?"

He looked at her, his eyes sliding into focus as he tried to register her features. Then he smiled a bit. "I'm Frodo. It's embarrassing, but I think I'm seasick. I've never sailed before. I think our ship was blown off course."

She nodded, standing and showing him where he could hop onto a small, sterilized table. "Sit here, there ye are. Now, I have some medicine that you need to take. Don't worry, even the strongest succumb to seasickness. I remember my first time out at sea . . ." She grinned and glanced out the door, wishing she could be out there right now, the wind blowing on her face and the waves crashing around her. She loved the way her hair curled in the humidity and the spray of the sea coated her skin with a soft stickiness.

"Sarah?"

She turned, looking at Erik, who had poked his head in. "We're having a little trouble with one of them. I'll finish with this one and the others, but I want you to handle him."

"Oh really?" Sarah put her hands on her hips and frowned at him, giving the spoon and medicine to the small man. "And what, exactly, are you having trouble with?"

"Well, he refuses to be treated. Cuts from some sort of problem with the rigging lace both his arms, but he won't let us touch him. They look sore and infected, but he says they're fine. He's even threatened me with his blade! You can handle him, can't you?"

She sighed. Why was she always stuck with the crazy ones? She grinned at herself when she remembered, oh yeah! She was crazy too. "Alright, but you take care of the rest of them. I'll only deal with this one, then I'm back to the docks, you hear me?"

He nodded, stepping into the room and signaling someone. "Alright you lot, come in here. Not you, stay there. I've got someone special to handle you."

Sarah sighed and took a step back, watching as a motley array of people filed into the small shack. Another short man, but not as short and with a heavy, long beard. A regular man, who nodded at her as he walked in, followed by another man, taller and regal with dark hair. She nodded at all of them, smiling charmingly. Then, with a playful scowl toward Erik, she swept out the door to see what kind of nutcase she was dealing with.

He was behind the shack. She set her face with hard resolve, determined to deal with this guy and get back to work.

-X-

Two shining, silver blades in his hands, a bow and quiver of arrows on his back, the brightest of blue jewels for eyes and a waterfall of gold for hair. Those sapphires glanced up, gleaming with anger and mischief as someone rounded the corner.

Blue saw hazel-green, the mischievous sapphires observing determined spring. He tilted his head back, watching her with now amusement. He had been expecting some old hag from the docks, never someone like this. The plan of destroy anything that approached him dissolved as he looked her up and down, her not even glancing at him.

She walked right up to him, not a scrap of hesitation in her, but looking down as she adjusted her gloves. She smiled without looking at him, her pretty round face as happy as always. "Good day sir! My name is Sarah. How may I help you?"

He lowered his chin, watching her with admiration for the fearlessness and determination she displayed. Without a word, he raised both hands and held them out to her, showing the infected scars that went all up his arms.

She gaped at the wounds, amazed with how torn they were. Then she glanced up at his face and had to take a step back.

_Well, Erik could have told me he's incredibly hot!_ she thought, looking all over his face from the sapphire eyes to the fine-sculpted cheekbones. She took a deep breath and gently took one of his hands in hers, picking up a rag soaking in warm water to dab against the wounds. "Didn't anyone bind these up properly?"

He shook her head, watching her face with supreme interest. Her reaction surprised him.

Her spring eyes darkened with anger and she cursed out loud toward Erik. "Are you kidding me? These wounds are horrible, they need to be treated immediately." A shy pink crept across her face as she ran a hand up his torn shirt, trying to move the tattered rags aside.

_Just feel those muscles! Wow!_ Sarah wanted to fall to the ground, kicking her legs and squealing loudly, but she wouldn't demean herself in front of him. She took a deep breath and glanced up at his face. "How far up do these go?"

He shrugged, watching her very carefully with great interest.

She sighed, the pink growing redder. "Could you take off your shirt then, please?"

A small grin pulled at the man's mouth, and he nodded. He reached down and unlaced his vest, stripping it and pulling off his tattered undershirt.

It was all Sarah could do not to pass out from sheer excitement and awe. _Just look at those muscles! Oh my-- okay, Sarah. Get a hold on yourself. It's just another sailor_. She stepped behind him and almost got a nosebleed from his beautifully sculpted back. _An incredibly fine sailor!_

"Um, this might sting a little." She gulped and ran the damp rag over the wounds, trying to sterilize them with the clean salt water.

He didn't even flinch. He just sat there and gazed off into the sky.

Sarah blinked and finished bathing the wounds, pulling out a needle and some twine. "So . . . what's your name?"

"Legolas," said he, speaking for the very first time.

_And of course he has a lovely man's voice_, Sarah thought, her heartbeat accelerating dangerously, again. "That's an interesting name. Does it mean anything?"

"It's elfish for Greenleaf." He turned his head and looked at her from the corner of his eye. "What does your name mean?"

She grinned at him. "It means princess, and with my middle name it means princess pearl. Sarah Elizabeth, you see?"

He nodded with a small smile, turning away as she began stitching up his back.

"Does that hurt?" she asked, concerned. Usually men had to be restrained while she did this.

He shook his head, the blonde hair spilling over his shoulders to dance over her knuckles as she tied off the first set of stitches. She stuffed two fingers into her mouth to keep herself from squealing aloud. _He did that on purpose!_

She took a step to his right, fixing up a longer gash that went down his arm. She glanced up once to see him watching her, only to blush and look back down. She didn't know which was worse, looking at the sinfully sculpted muscles or his perfect face.

She took a deep breath and pulled the last stitch into place, her heart skipping two beats as she realized her scissors were on the barrel on his other side. She bit the inside of her lip and leaned closer to his arm, gently nipping at the twine to cut it.

He stiffened and looked at her, a strange grin playing across his whole face. She blushed and turned away to pull out another length of twine, not knowing what to think or do other than continue. There were three more gashes to stitch up. She just wanted to get back to work by now.

She moved to the other side after stitching the gash near his right wrist, starting on a small, but deep, cut near his left biceps. When she started sewing it up, he turned and looked at her with his bright eyes.

"How much longer do you work at the docks?"

She started, stabbing the needle deeper into his arm than necessary and looking up at him. He winced, but only slightly as she pulled the needle back out and held it in her hand. "Well, until sundown. But the cold is coming, so that should be about," she craned her neck to look at the sun as it dipped into the sea, "thirty, forty-five minutes, I guess. I'm not sure."

He nodded and kept watching her as she stitched up the cut, quickly moving to the last one. "How is it you learned medical skills by working at a dock?"

She shrugged, smiling happily, as usual. "My mother had a lot of problems while she was still alive. We went to see the doctor often, but there were lots of other patients so I had to take care of her most of the time. The doctor often called me 'nurse' by accident. There!" She pulled the last stitch into place, snatching a roll of cloth and binding it securely. "Now, you need to try and stay away from anything you might exert yourself on. If your planning on going back on that boat, stay in the cabin. If not, then just stay in your room and relax."

He stood, a funny smile on his face as he slipped back into his clothes. Sarah wanted to cry as the exceptional male torso exited her sight. "I'm staying around here for a while, but I can't guarantee you anything. Thank you, princess."

Her face went white, then red as he took her hand and kissed it, looking up at her and letting his lips linger over her skin for what seemed like a long time. She squirmed, smiling at him. "No problem! You'll want to go see a real doctor soon, though, to get those stitches removed. Two weeks, at the most."

He nodded, holding her hand for another brief moment before letting it fall limply back to her side. Then, with a nod of his head, he turned and almost glided away.

She marveled at the way he seemed to float instead of walk. His body was so fluid and masculine, moving like a limber tree. She grinned, then put a hand over her mouth and giggled. Like a leaf!

"Sarah!"

She opened her eyes and looked up. Erik was peeking around the corner of the shack at her, glancing from the blonde man at her and back and back again. "How?"

She shrugged, giving him a coy grin. "I have my ways." She giggled and waved at him before skipping off to help tidy up the docks before sundown.


	2. The Marred Sketch

1Chapter Two: The Marred Sketch

Disclaimer: I do not own any character from LOTR, nor do I own my friend. Some of the characters (actual people) might be displayed in a different way than they actually exist, but that's what this web-site is for.

"Bye! See you tomorrow, then!" Sarah giggled and skipped away from the docks, happy to finally be free. Work had gone a bit longer than expected because of an accident involving an oversized squid, lots of little fish and barnacles. Needless to say, all of the hands had to stay after work to help clean up the mess.

She tucked her scarf into her collar, nuzzling her chin into the wool to warm herself. It was definitely getting colder.

"Put your coat on, sweetie."

"But mum, I not cowld."

Sarah turned and watched a mother and her daughter. The woman was gently trying to persuade the tiny thing to wear her jacket, but she was too bent on running about and wearing herself out to listen. After watching them a minute, Sarah dropped into a squatting position and whipped out her notebook and a stick of charcoal, intent on drawing the adorable pair.

"Come now, dearie! I don't want you catching cold. Daddy's ship comes in tomorrow and we can't have you sick!"

"Daddy will wuv me even if I be sickened. Beside, I'm warm!"

"That's because of your running around like a wild thing, you silly little doll. Now come and let mommy wrap you up warm. You'll be glad later."

"Oh, alwight. You can wap me up, I dun pwaying."

Sarah smiled and flipped the page, trying to sketch the figure of the mother tenderly dressing the happy little girl.

"What are you doing?"

"Ack!" Sarah jumped, cramming the charcoal into the paper and marring it deeply. She groaned out loud, looking hopelessly at the ruined drawing. "Oh, great! Who do you think you are, sneaking up on me--ee?" She had leapt up and whirled on whoever had disturbed her, only to come face to face with the sapphire-eyed man. Any angry words died instantly in her throat, replaced by a sort of strangled gurgle.

The blue gems looked both confused and disarming. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."

She managed to bring breath back into her shocked body, gasping after the long lack of air. "No, it's fine. You just scared the wits out of me and made me ruin my sketch." Her spring eyes glared woefully at the marred drawing.

He shrugged and took up the notebook from her, looking at the picture with admiration. "This is very good. Can't you just redo it on the next page."

"That's mine!" She snatched the book back from him, but couldn't stay mad at the sad puppy-dog look on his face. "But, yeah, I probably can. I have the basic outlines."

He grinned, then let it fall into a smirk. "That was a lot longer than forty-five minutes, by the way."

She looked up, her hazel-green eyes confused and shocked. "You were waiting for me? Don't you have friends to hang out with, lodgings to reserve, food to buy?"

He shrugged. "My friends are all looking for a place to stay, and I already found my own lodgings. I haven't eaten though, I confess."

She smiled at him. "I was on my way to the tavern down the street. Care to join me, sir Legolas?"

The sapphire eyes lit up with joy as he nodded, an adorably happy look all across the incredibly attractive face.

Sarah just about melted. She couldn't take her eyes off him, but she almost couldn't stand to look. She just ended up in a messy heap of giggles where all she could do was stare at him and giggle quietly.

He didn't notice, obliviously, and took her arm. "Show me where it is?"

She nodded and pointed weakly down the street. "The Gangplank. That's where I eat."

The sapphire eyes sparkled as he hauled her down the street, her feet moving automatically in the trance the beautiful young man had put her in.

-X-

" . . . and then Gimly and I had this drinking contest! I swear I have never drank so much in my entire life!" Legolas laughed and shook his head, the beautiful girl watching him. He had been telling her about Middle Earth and some of the adventures he had had.

She nodded slowly, her chin resting in the palm of her hand. He was just so handsome . . .

"What about you?"

She sat up. "What? What about me?"

"Well, tell me about yourself. How did you come to work at the docks?"

Sarah looked away. "It's a long story, kind of. I'll have to tell you a lot for it to make sense."

He nodded, the sapphire eyes glowing in the candle-lit gloom of the tavern. "I'll listen."

She fidgeted with her napkin, feeling a bit awkward. "Well, my mother was always very sick, as you know. There were five of us, altogether. My younger sister Kayla, my younger brother Brian, and both of my parents and I. Father works at the military base, teaching younger recruits the basics. They don't pay very well for military instructors, but it was the only job daddy could get."

Legolas nodded, leaning closer as her voice grew quieter. The atmosphere was almost intimate as Sarah continued in hushed tones.

"One day, mother had to go to the hospital. We took her, but just couldn't afford the medicine she needed. She fell asleep and never woke up." Sarah stopped and looked away for a moment to swallow the lump in her throat, then continued onwards.

"I was seventeen, Kayla was fifteen and Brian was only twelve. Father said that, since Kayla and Brian could take care of the house and themselves without me now, I needed to get a job. So I worked mornings at the docks and evenings in this very tavern. In the afternoon I would come home and try to get some sleep, or else I wouldn't make it through the night. But I was never too tired to go on, and with the money I made our family was able to live a little better."

She brightened a little. She was obviously coming to her favorite part of the story. "Then I turned eighteen! I left, told father and the others that I was going to work full shifts at the docks and live in the docking inn. I keep enough money to buy food, as the docking inn gives me free lodging, and send what's left home to father. Life has been good."

He was watching her with almost pitying blue eyes. "You started working full time when you were eighteen? How old are you now?"

She glanced at the table where she had carved a furrow with her fingernail "I'm twenty-one now. I guess Kayla would be eighteen and Brian's fifteen. Wow, I haven't thought about them for a while."

The blonde-haired man tilted his head to one side, the golden locks spilling everywhere. "Do you know what's become of them?"

She shrugged. "Last I heard, Kayla was aiming to be a seamstress and Brian was planning on enrolling in the military. I wish he wouldn't." Her spring eyes trailed away again, her attention span as flighty as it ever was.

Something soft and warm touched her chin, making her cast her eyes up. Two blue jewels met her earthy orbs, and she could tell that he felt bad for her. She pulled away, suddenly in a bad mood.

"What's wrong?"

"Don't feel bad for me. It's my life that made me who I am and I wouldn't change a day of it!"

"No, I don't feel bad for you! I was just thinking about your siblings. You said you hadn't even thought about them for a while. Why don't you try and find them?"

She shook her head, blonde hair going everywhere. "I just don't have time! I work all day at the docks and I need sleep at night. Speaking of, it's late and I need to get going!"

He stood up with her, paying the waiter with a few coins and following her out the door. "I might as well walk you home, princess. We're living in the same inn."

She started and looked up at him. "B-but only dock hands are allowed to lodge there. Don't tell me you--" she could already tell by the look on his face. "This could be considered stalking, you know!"

He just chuckled quietly at her and offered her his arm. It was a good night.


	3. Bows and Arrows

Chapter Three: Bows and Arrows

Disclaimer: I do not own any character from LOTR, nor do I own my friend. Some of the characters (actual people) might be displayed in a different way than they actually exist, but that's what this web-site is for.

He stretched in the hard little cot the dock had supplied to him. It had been easy enough to figure out where the beautiful young girl lived. All she had to do was ask that dock hand she was friends with, Erik, or something. All of the hands stayed in the inn, so it was simple enough to get a minimum hour job there, helping only when needed or called on. He could stay in the inn but still have plenty of free time with his friends.

He stood, the muscular torso rippling with suppressed power as he stood and slipped into his shirt. First thing he would have to do would be to find some new clothes. The elven ones were far too fancy for everyday attire. He took a long look at himself in the mirror, looking at the way the silver cloth hung on him. But he wasn't dwelling at all on his appearance or himself in any way. He was trying to picture the lovely young girl standing next to him wearing some beautiful elven robes.

He shrugged and reached for his weapons. The shining white knives, the intricate bow and the careful arrows. He ran his fingers through the feathers gently, feeling the softness they possessed.

_Clang! Clang! Clang!_

With three smooth movements he had pulled an arrow from the quiver, fitted it to his bow and fired it at the loud device outside his window. He lowered the bow in satisfaction, the old copper bell sporting a small hole with a tuff of green feathers sticking out of it.

"Missed the letter by almost an inch. I'm getting rusty." He sighed and leapt onto the windowsill, leaning out and grabbing hold of a support beam. He was bent on getting his arrow back. A few pedestrians below began making noise and pointing at him, yelling that he should get down and that he was going to jump.

Sapphire eyes sparkled with thrill as the blonde-haired man clambered onto the support beam, dashing its length and stopping short above the bell. He dropped into a sitting position on the support and let himself fall back, hanging by only his legs.

The people were shouting louder now, a few of them panicking and calling for someone to help him. He ignored them as well as he could, trying to imagine that they were just the birds in his lovely forest back home. He actually had the feathers in his hand when a feminine voice rang out.

"WHAT do you think you are DOING?"

He twisted to one side and glanced back at his window to see a very upset manager and Sarah leaning out his window. Her hazel-green eyes were huge and flashing with anger and fright. "No- come back! You'll hurt yourself!"

He just grinned at her, amused by her terror. "Don't worry, I'm fine. Give me a moment." He pushed the arrow the rest of the way through, catching it neatly in his hand as it started to fall toward the ground. The metal tip had been shattered, but the shaft still looked to be in good condition.

With a fluid movement he had twisted and crawled back onto the support beam and was strolling almost casually toward his window, grinning at Sarah and the manager of the inn.

She took a step back as he leapt back into the room, laying the arrow shaft on his bed and slinging the rest of the weapons onto his body as if he did so every day.

"Hey, buddy!" The manager put a heavy hand on the sapphire-eyes man's shoulder. "No more climbing out windows, you're a freaking publicity stunt now! Just stay put, or else."

It was the wrong thing to say. The blondie turned and met the speaker with a hard stare. "Or else what?"

"I'll be forced to kick you out of here."

"Oh!" He seemed to cheer up instantly, removing the big hand from his shoulder and shaking it warmly. "Well, alright then. Sorry about your bell, it startled me. I meant to get it right through the 'o', see?" He pointed, but wasn't looking at the bell. Instead, he grinned at Sarah.

She flushed pink and took a step back, still clad in her nightclothes. When the people had told her the newcomer with the arrows was going to jump out of his window she hadn't hesitated a moment. Now she wished she had at least put on her dock jacket.

"Aw, well, maybe it'll make it sound better." The manager grinned and looked at the blonde-haired man. "You're an amazing shot. You should sign up to be an instructor down at the military base."

The sapphire-eyed man tilted his head back a touch, considering the proposition. "I will think about it. Thank you for the tip."

"Alright, I'll leave you alone, then." The manager gave the smaller man a hefty pat on the back.

Legolas didn't move a bit and returned the pat, nearly knocking the man over. "A pleasure exchanging formalities with you, sir."

The manager was rubbing a sore shoulder when he left. Sarah found herself alone in the room with the blonde man, her heart still pounding from her fright and her knees weak from how handsome he was.

He turned on her, giving her a concerned look that almost melted her. "Are you alright? You look pale."

She shook her head, looking at the floor. "I- was scared. They said you had gone mad and were trying to throw yourself out the window."

He chuckled quietly and glanced at the damaged bell ruefully. "I'm sorry. I was just trying to get my arrow back. I aimed it so it would deflect back into the room, but I fired it too hard and it penetrated the metal. I fail to see how it was such an issue however."

Sarah giggled, her usual happy mood returning to her after the fright. "Well, you don't see people shooting bells or climbing about on support beams too often."

He nodded, taking a step toward her. "I'll remember that. When do you work today?"

She glanced out the window, refusing to look at him lest her nerves melt again, along with her rationality and sanity. "Um, midmorning. It's only just past sunrise now, though."

The strongest hand she had ever encountered gripped her shoulder gently, unwilling to exert much strength lest it hurt her. She looked up at him, only now noticing he was only a few inches away. He smiled at her gently. "I don't work until the late afternoon. Come, help me find something."

It wasn't a command, but it might of well have been. She couldn't resist those big blue eyes no more than she could stop her heart from beating.

-X-

"Where are we?"

Sarah looked up at the blue-eyed man almost incredulously. "Well, this is the fort. They teach military here to the men."

He nodded, the sapphire orbs sparkling. "What's going on in that field over there?"

She squinted. The field was right where the sun was still rising. "A bow and arrow competition. They fire at those targets trying to see who can get it closest to the center."

She suddenly found her arm in a strong, but gentle grip as the excited older man pulled her toward the ring. "Let's go! I want to try my hand at it!"

She was pushed into a spectator circle by a swarthy man with a harsh scar that crossed over one eye and disfigured her nose. She tried to push through, but to no avail. "Wait, I'm with one of the archers!"

"Sure you are. Just wait here like all of the others."

Legolas pushed through and took her hand gently. "No, she is with me. Let her through."

The man scowled. "She's a spectator, not allowed in the ring. I wouldn't care if she was Robin Hood's wife! She stays here."

The blondie drew himself up to his full, impressive, height and looked down at the man. "She's not, and she can accompany me onto the field."

"No, she can't! So go shoot your sissy arrows and leave her here, or else!"

The sapphire eyes flashed dangerously. "Or else what?"

"I'll have to remove both of you by force."

Sarah yelped as his rough hand landed on the back of her neck, hauling her away from the blue-eyed man.

BAM!

Legolas struck out with his fist, hitting the man square in the jaw. Sarah could hear the bone splintering and teeth cracking. The man roared through his broken gob, wiping away the blood that was streaming down his chin. He released Sarah, attacking the tall blonde.

Sarah put her hands over her mouth as she watched, but horrified and excited. The blue-eyed man was so lithe and strong! He dodged every one of the swarthy man's attacks, only to retaliate with lighting blows to the chest, stomach and left knee.

The man fell to the ground, gasping for breath and clutching the shattered kneecap. He pulled a knife out of a hidden sheath on his leg, lunging clumsily at the blonde man.

He stepped to one side and stepped down firmly on his wrist, yanking the blade free and sending it spinning accurately into a nearby tree. A crowd had gathered now, bouncers running forward to pull the two apart.

Sarah tried to push through to get back to Legolas. It was crazy! Two men had to grab the blue-eyed man and pull him away from the broken mess on the ground. But the blonde squirmed away as if he were covered in grease, slipping behind them and catching them both in a strangle hold.

Sarah managed to push into the clearing people wouldn't go into to see Legolas trying to throttle the men, the bloody heap of flesh crawling away. "Legolas!"

He turned his blue eyes to her, the flashing rage disintegrating. "What?"

"Let them go!" She rushed forward and tugged feebly on his arm.

In an instant they were lying on the ground gasping for air and Sarah was swept into a worried hug. She giggled and squirmed a little as he pulled back. He touched two fingers under her chin, looking into her spring eyes with worry. "Did he hurt you?"

"N-no! Not at all!" Sarah blinked, staring into the blue jewels in awe. He had almost destroyed that man just for touching her!

"Good." He slid his hand down her arm and gripped her small hand in his larger one, smiling gently. "Come on, I don't think anyone will protest your coming with me now."

In fact, the people seemed to part as he pulled her through the crowd toward the line where he would be firing his bow and arrow. The referee stepped aside and showed him where to stand in order to shoot his arrow, not daring to deny him what he wanted.

Legolas pulled out his bow and squinted at the distant target, running his fingers over the feathers lightly. Sarah shivered, her mind spinning out of control with visions of those fingers running over her skin, caressing her as they did those feathers. She squirmed with suppressed enthusiasm and fought back a fit of giggles, watching eagerly as he pulled the arrow back and took aim.

All around gaped at the amazing amount of strength put into pulling that arrow back on the already-taut string. He didn't even grimace with exertion though. He merely frowned in concentration, tilting the arrow slightly this way and that as he took aim.

At the last moment he brought the bow up, firing the shot into the air. Everyone roared with laughter, saying he lost control of the bow by showing off. But they weren't watching. The very instant after he let go of the arrow he strung another and fired it after the first, then another at the target. A hush fell over the crowd at the two distinct thuds thrummed through the air.

The judge ran to the targets to examine how well he had done, only to start shouting unintelligibly, but with obvious excitement. People rushed forward, regardless of what the bouncers tried to do, and all pushed to see the target.

Sarah stood to the side, completely confused and in awe. The blonde turned and smiled at her, shrugging the bow back into a comfortable position on his back. "Would you wish to see?"

She nodded and followed him when he took her hand and led her toward the mob crowded around the target. He pushed through and led her forward, showing her the target where all three arrows had landed.

The spring-eyed girl almost sat down from sheer wonder. The first arrow had the second impaled through it, cocked at a crazy angle that showed how it had been knocked from the sky. The third arrow was buried almost halfway into the target, its shaft being stabbed by the tip of the first arrow. They had landed dead center exactly, nobody could deny.

Legolas just nodded at the target and began walking away.

"Hey, you!"

The blondie started when yet another big, rough man ran up to him and grabbed his shoulder. "You're the best shot I've ever seen, and quite a hand-to-hand fighter too. Care to join us here teaching young men how to fight?"

Sapphire orbs looked away at the ground and their owner seemed thoughtful. "I'm not sure I would be the teaching type. I'm working part-time at the docks already."

The man shrugged. "Teach here whenever you're free. We would love to have you."

"Daddy?"

The big man turned and saw Sarah wander up, her spring eyes big. "Sarah? Is that you, my little princess?" He laughed and swept her into a hug. "Well, it is good to see you! Healthy and whole I see. You've been taking care of yourself."

Sarah nodded eagerly. "I have. I'm still working at the docks, same hours as always. I'm one of the favorite hands, actually. Because I'm always cheerful."

"Well, it's good to see you, happy and healthy, on account of your sister." The big man was solemn.

"Kayla? Why, what's wrong with her?"

"You haven't heard?"

"I haven't heard anything for almost a year! Tell me what's happened!"

Her father took a step back and ran a dirty hand through his dark hair. "She's very sick, Sarah. The doctors say she has the yellow fever."

The girl's heart quickened with a pang of fear. "Can't they cure it?"

"They say she might not make it, regardless. We just don't have the money to pay her bills. It seems she takes after her mother in matters of health."

Sarah turned away, thinking. "What about the money I send you? Isn't that enough to pay?"

"What money?"

She turned on him, her face now ashen. "The extra money I've been sending you ever since I started working at the docks! I barely have enough to pay for myself because of all I send to you!"

"Darling, you've been sending the money to our old house. We moved about two years ago. I thought you knew."

"What, I leave and all of a sudden nobody tells me anything anymore? Some family I've got!" Sarah stormed away, livid. "You can all take care of yourselves. Like I've done since mother died!"

"Sarah!"

"Let her go."

The girls father turned on the blue-eyed man who had stopped him. "What do you know of this? You're just some pretty-boy archer!"

He nodded curtly. "Maybe, but she wants to be left alone. She's your daughter, and she's upset. I can show you where she lives so you can visit her later when she calms down."

The old man sighed. "I'll get her and bring her home. She needs to be with her siblings right now, not skipping about at some lame dock where she gets to play with boats all day. She never took life seriously."

"She takes it seriously enough to send thousands of dollars to her family."

"Well a lot of good that did, huh? All she did was waste money. I'm bringing her home to straighten her out. She's not ready to be living in the world."

"She's twenty-one. You have no right to force her to do what she doesn't want."

The older man looked at him up and down. "What's your name son? How old are you?"

"Legolas Greenleaf. I am 2,931 years old."

Sarah's father laughed. "Yeah, really? No, I'm serious. How old are you, boy?"

Legolas frowned. "It is the truth. Two thousand, nine hundred and thirty-one."

"Yeah, right. You don't look a day over twenty."

"I am no mortal, like you, I am elven. Your kind age and die much faster than mine." He took a step back, pressing his open hand to his chest then extending it to the older man before turning and walking away.

The man watched, dumbfounded, as the blonde strode away with all of the confidence and grace in the world. "Elven? Whatever that is. The man must be off his rocker."


	4. Fair and Beautiful

Chapter Four: Fair and Beautiful

Disclaimer: I do not own any character from LOTR, nor do I own my friend. Some of the characters (actual people) might be displayed in a different way than they actually exist, but that's what this web-site is for.

Sarah ran into her room, falling onto her bed and letting out the tears she had been fighting back the whole way there. A knock on her door made her jolt and look up as her partner Erik peeked into the room.

"Sarah? Dockmaster wants to know if you'll be coming to work."

"N-no. I-I'm taking s-sick leave for today. L-leave me alone!"

He nodded and shut the door quickly, knowing how she was while in this mood.

She just continued to sob into her pillow, wrenching at the blankets with blind fury and sorrow as she let out all of her emotions at once.

Her sister was dying and, once again, her family didn't have the money to save her. All of her hard-earned money had been going to Lord knows who because her father had up and moved without letting Sarah know. As always she was on the outside of the loop, never informed and never alerted about anything that she could help with. Never!

She punched her pillow, growling with wrath and frustration, when she sensed another presence in the room. She turned her head to see the tall elven man standing beside her bed, looking at her in a sideways, distant fashion.

She sniffed and wouldn't look at him. "What do you want?"

He sat down beside her. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine."

He reached out and put one of his callused hands on her wrist. "No you're not."

"Then why did you ask?" Her spring eyes flashed as she turned to glare at him. For the first time she didn't fall about with how handsome she was. She just wanted to be left alone.

He tilted his head back a touch and moved his hand to touch her chin. "I wanted to see if you would tell me the truth."

Her eyes darkened and she looked away, her golden hair falling into a private curtain between their faces. "Well, there's your answer, then. I ask again, what do you want?" She snatched his hand away from her face with a few angry movements.

"I want you to smile."

Her spring eyes were surprised when she looked up at him, and confused. "Why?"

"Because you're beautiful when you smile, and I don't like it when you're sad." He reached out and touched her cheek, scraping away a tear with his thumb. "I hate seeing you cry."

"I don't even know you! I met you yesterday!" She jerked away from him violently, curling up on her bed with a pillow. "Why do you care?"

"You remind me of someone I knew."

She scoffed. "Yeah? Was she chunky with stringy hair and muddy eyes too?"

"She was a beautiful elven queen."

Her red-rimmed eyes looked up at him again, confused. "Did you say elven?"

The sapphire orbs glinted softly as he smiled at her. He pulled back some of his long hair and showed her the pointed ears that had been hidden beneath until this moment. "I am an elf."

She stared at him for a long time, then laughed without humor. "Get out."

"I'm telling the truth!" He slid forward onto the bed and gently took her hand in his. "The woman you remind me of was my mother. She died a very long time ago."

"And what, that makes you some sort of prince?" She laughed again, more harshly than she really meant to.

He smiled very softly. "Yes, it does."

She looked at him almost scornfully, then really gazed into his bright blue eyes. He was telling the truth. "You- you must be kidding me. You're some kind of elven prince?"

"Of Fangorn forest."

"Now I know you're lying! There's no such place!"

"How could you know if you've never been past those docks you work at?"

She opened her mouth to retort, but found she had no reply. Her mouth closed and she looked at the floor in defeat. "Fine. Let's say you're an elven prince of this forest and your mother was a beautiful elven queen. Why would you ever leave?"

He grinned. "The sea called me. Once they lay eyes on it, an elf can no longer resist the call of the waves. I felt it beckoning me, and I could not help myself."

"And I remind you of your beautiful elven mother?" Sarah was hardest pressed believing this. "Me? I'm not beautiful, I'm not even pretty. I might even be less than attractive! I don't have a slender, curvy figure or a pretty face or even a good personality! I'm obsessive and weird and way too enthusiastic!"

"You're cheerful!" He insisted, taking both of her hands and brushing the pillow aside. "You have joy in your very features and it radiates to those around you. You have the most beautiful personality just for your happiness, and the care you show for your family." He smiled at her, the blue jewels in his eyes gleaming. "This is true beauty, Sarah. If you think you're not beautiful, you mislead yourself."

She stared at him for a long time, then sniffed and looked away, another wave of hot tears running down her cheeks. "Nobody ever told me that, not even my parents. I'm pretty sure they didn't even have it cross their minds." She sniffed hard and looked at at him, letting the smile he wanted spread across her tear-streaked face. "Thank you."

He smiled and touched her face again, brushing away the tears gently. "It's the truth. You just needed to hear it." He leaned forward, brushing at her jawbone with his fingers.

Sarah remembered the way he had caressed the feathers on his arrow and closed her eyes, her breath catching and her heart suddenly pumping faster. The hand that was still resting on hers stretched and entwined its fingers with hers. She felt his warm breath dance across her neck.

But- she turned her head away and put a hand on his chest, pushing him. "No-"

"Why?" The question was quick and short, but not harsh.

"I-it's too soon!" She looked at him incredulously. "I just met you yesterday!"

"So?" He grinned at her, his fingers still caressing her jawbone lightly, moving down her neck to play with a few loose strands of hair. "I'm attracted to you and I gather that you're attracted to me. Your breath caught when I moved close to you."

She looked away. "It's not supposed to work like that."

"How, then?"

She sighed as if it were obvious. "I don't know! It's just supposed to be- different."

"If you don't know, how is this so wrong?"

"I- I- Oh!" She scowled at him, but playfully. "You win. Kiss me!"

His eyes widened when she put a hand on his neck and pulled him toward her. Without missing a beat he wrapped his arm around her waist and pressed his lips to hers, pulling her body close to his.

She scooted closer to him, straddling his hips and placing both hands on his face as she devoured him. She couldn't get enough of him, she needed more! He obliged enthusiastically, running his hands up her arms to seize her shoulders and crush her closer.

He was actually the first to pull back, mostly coming up for air. He smiled at her, stroking her face with two fingers. "So if not this, how should it work?"

She giggled and laid her head on his shoulder, curling up in his lap as he wrapped his incredibly strong arms around her. "I was wrong. This is perfect."

The scent of her hair drifted lazily through his senses as he rested his chin on her head, holding her tightly to him. His blue eyes drifted across her room, looking at the things she surrounded herself with. There were scraps of flags, paintings with water damage, mostly shells and things you would collect from the sea. He smiled and stroked her hair affectionately. It seemed she was no more able to resist the sea than he was.

She giggled, nuzzling her face deeper into his chest. "You know, I never thought my prince would come."

He just grinned and held her tighter, vowing that he would never willingly let go. His hand ran up her neck and tangled itself in her hair. He leaned forward and whispered, "I'm here, and I'll never leave."

As she rested her head on his broad chest and felt him running his fingers through her hair, she knew it to be true.

Legolas, who was fair of face beyond measure of men, and Sarah, with a more beautiful personality than there is between this world and Middle Earth, had finally found each other.


End file.
